'Rambo' Record Doing Well By Soundtrack Standards

July 17, 1985|By Los Angeles Times

HOLLYWOOD — Rambomania has reached the record racks. Varese Sarabande, the company that issued the film's soundtrack, reported that the digital album -- which began making its way into stores a month and a half ago -- has become the 7- year-old label's top-selling album.

''It's surpassed the Witness soundtrack, our previous record-holder, and it looks like it could be our blockbuster,'' said company vice president Tom Null.

He declined to give actual sales figures on Rambo, but did say, ''Remember, soundtracks don't sell like Prince or Madonna albums. We aren't talking about rock 'n' roll tunes.''

For a soundtrack, he added, annual sales of 100,000 copies are considered ''very healthy. . . . So that will give you an idea where we're heading with Rambo.'' (At the box office, ticket sales have exceeded $118 million.)

With the exception of a patriotic rock ballad sung by Frank Stallone, the Jerry Goldsmith score is composed of symphonic orchestrations, with nary a grunt, groan or burst of gunfire. There also are no excerpts from Sylvester Stallone's dialogue.